By Keely Deighton
What was initially a side hustle for Anna Cordell has turned into a thriving ethical and sustainable Australian fashion brand. Musician and fashion designer Anna Cordell has always had a love for vintage clothing, however after working in fashion she became “pretty bitter” about the lack of ethics and sustainable processes in most fashion brands.
“Initially the brand was created as a bit of a side-hustle to try and get some funding to create the album that I have always wanted to make. I didn’t have a lot of money to start with, so I designed just a few pieces, had them modelled by my beautiful friend Hollie Joyce, and photographed by another mate Kristoffer Paulsen,” Anna explains.
“The little cord suit Holly wore in the first range really took on a life of its own. I ended up having a lot of interest from local musicians, so I just followed their lead really and kept working away at that, bringing my other designs in around the sides.”
Anna’s eponymous brand now offers a range of strong, but timeless designs in a mix of bold and moody colours for both men and women, and featuring unique fabrics.
As a mother to five children, Anna says she needs to work at her own pace and make things when she has the “time and energy”. All of her garments are made to order, seasonless and created slowly, this allows Anna to run her business in a way that suits her lifestyle.
Anna’s stance on ethical and sustainable fashion has helped to form her brand into one she is proud of, by encouraging everyone to “re-train ourselves to buy less, but better quality” says Anna.
Finding inspiration within the music community has had a massive impact on how Anna designs; she is also influenced by the styles of the 1940s, 1970s and 1990s. Anna explains that her style has had a lot of interest from local musicians and this has helped shape her brand, alongside her love for vintage fashion,
When asked how her love for vintage fashion plays into her brand’s aesthetic, Anna says: “It’s huge! After being a vintage clothing buyer for a long time – it’s like my eyes and aesthetic are just completely subsumed by all things vintage!”.
When sourcing fabrics, Anna tries to use designer off-cuts from Melbourne fabric stores as well as her personal vintage fabric stash. However, when purchasing fabrics she aims to buy from ethical suppliers that have sustainability in mind.
Anna’s design process often “begins with a piece of fabric” she says, as she finds unique pieces of fabric inspiring. These unique pieces are occasionally sold through the brand’s Instagram account. The brand offers a range of fabrics from linens to velvets and everything in between, but corduroy, linen and silk velvet are Anna’s personal favourites.
In the next five years Anna says that she will continue to fight to “make locally made clothing accessible”.
“Cutting out the middle man means I can be a little more flexible with prices. On the other hand, I don’t want to undercut any other brands made locally – because I really want to see a thriving trade in Melbourne again. It’s a tricky balance!
“I just want to remain flexible and in tune with my customers and see where it all goes.”
You can buy Anna Cordell online at annacordellclothing.com, and follow the brand on Instagram at @annacordellclothing.
Discover more interesting independent Australian fashion brands in Our Fashion Stories section.
